Composition of matter.



Ito. 74.1.2559,

IPatented October is, 1903.

UNITED STATES "Parent rricn.

WILLIAM A. LAWRENCE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL RUBBERCOMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COMPOSITION OF MATTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,259, dated October13, 1903.

Application filed October 6, 1902. Serial No. 126,087. (No specimens.)

To whom it may concern.-

3e it known that I, IVILLIAM A. LAWRENCE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the borough of Queens, city and State of New 5 York,have invented a certain new and useful Composition of Matter, of whichthe following is a specification.

The composition forming the subjectmatter of the present application isproduced as [O a by-product in the carrying out of a process for theextraction of rubber or rubber-like gums from plants invented by me andfully described and claimed in an application, Serial No. 114,082, filedJuly 2, 1902, of which I 5 this application is a division.

In the carrying out of the above-mentioned process I treat certainrubber-bearing plants with a solvent for the rubber or rubber-like gumcontained therein. The solvents which I have found to be most suitablefor this purpose are hydrocarbonssuch as naphtha, gasolene, benzin,benzole, toluene, &c..and also ether, chlorofor1n,carbon bisuliid, andcarbon tetrachlorid. These reagents are all good sol 2 5 vents ofrubber, and they readily dissolve the rubber or rubber-like particlescontained in the plants and may then be drawn off therefrom. Certain ofthe plants which I treat in this manner contain a considerable amount ofresin or resinous matter, and this matter is also dissolved by thesolvents mentioned. The next step in the process of extracting the gumis the partial evaporation of the solvent from the solution. After thesolution has be- 3 5 come somewhat thickened from this cause furtherevaporation becomes more difficult, and I therefore at this point treatthe solution with an alkaline solution, preferably a solu tion of sodiumhydrate or caustic soda. The

0 alkaline solution effects a complete separation of the gums from theextracting solvent and also from the resinous matter. This separation isprimarily due to the fact that the alkali is a good solvent for theresins and is not a solvent for the rubber or rubber -like gums. Thedissolving out of the resinous matter by the alkaline solution from thethickened mass of gum, resin, and the residue of the extracting solventbreaks up the mass very thoroughly, and when the alkaline solution iskept hot, as I prefer to' have it, the residue of the extractingsolvent, being of a volatile nature, is for the most part speedilyevaporated. The alkaline solution also acts to some extent as a solventfor the said residue of the extracting solvent, this fact alsocontributing to the effective separation of the gum. The gum rises tothe surface as the alkaline solution cools and may be readily drawn orskimmed off. I then have remaining a very useful and valuable product,containing alkali, resin, and some naphtha or other rubber solvent. Sucha product requires only the combination therewith of the oils or fatscommonly used in soap-making to produce a valuable soap. Both the resinand naphtha, or the resin alone if most of the naphtha has beenevaporated from the solution, form a desirable ingredient of the soap.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. As a new composition of matter, analkaline solution of naphtha and resin derived from rubber-bearingplants, substantially as described.

2. As a new composition of matter, an alkaline solution of resin derivedfrom rubber bearing plants and a hydrocarbon, substantially asdescribed.

3. As a new composition of matter, an alkaline solution of both resinderived from rubber-bearing plants and a solvent for gum and resin,substantially as described.

l. As a new composition of matter,the solution which comprises a solventfor both the gum and resin. of rubber-bearing plants, said resin itself,and a solvent for the resin which is not a solvent of the gum,substantially as described. I

5. As a new composition of matter, an alkaa non-solvent of the gum,substantially as de- 10 line solution containing resin derived from ascribed. plant of the genus Pctrthenimn and a solvent In Witness whereofI have hereunto set my for both the gum and resin of the said plant,hand this 1st day of October, 1902. substantially as described.

6. A composition of matter consisting of a WVILLIAM N solvent for boththe gum and resin of a plant In presence of of the genus Parthenium, theresin of said JAMES J. OOSGROVE,

' plant, and a solvent for said resin, which is DELOS HOLDEN.

